OAR 715-045-0009: Instructional Programs

(1) All schools shall: (a) Offer programs of quality, content and duration, that are based on specific industry standards or an occupational task analysis, and with appropriate entrance criteria, instructional materials, staff, equipment and facilities to prepare students for the programs' occupational objectives; and (b) Operate programs evaluated by appropriate program advisory committees as defined in OAR 715-045-0013, unless a program is exempt from the advisory committee requirement under 715-045-0014. Materials for exempt programs will be reviewed by the executive director to determine the adequacy and appropriateness of the instructional methodology. The school shall prepare instructional design documentation for review, evaluation and analysis that includes: (A) A program outcome summary for each program offered that clearly states the program title, duration, educational or professional technical objective(s) of the program, and the job(s) title and level for which the training prepares the student. In addition the program outcome summary must include the following information: (i) A description of the target population for enrollment; (ii) The entrance requirements and prerequisite knowledge or skills needed to enroll; (iii) Any state license exams or other certifications the student will be prepared to take upon successful completion of the program; (B) A list of the industry standards or the occupational task analysis used to formulate the instructional design; (C) The associated competencies taught in the program for each standard or occupational task; (D) A list of core abilities incorporated throughout the program; (E) Learning plans, which shall include: (i) Core abilities and competencies taught in the lesson; (ii) Learning objectives for each competency; (iii) Learning activities that achieve the learning objectives; (iv) Sequence of learning activities; (v) Performance assessment statement(s); (F) The performance assessment(s) plan(s) for each competency, which shall include directions for the student and the evaluator, the performance conditions and criteria, and checklists, rubrics, or scoring guides used; (G) A program map. For programs comprised of multiple courses, the program map shall indicate the number of clock hours allowed for each course and the topics within each course. For programs not comprised of specific courses, the program map shall indicate each unit or major topic within the program, the number of clock hours for each unit or major topic and the specific subjects within each unit or major topic. (i) If the school is approved to use a credit hour measurement, an explanation of how credit hours convert to clock hours must also be submitted; (ii) If the instructional program is self-directed or measured in lessons, the total number of clock hours for the program and how that number is derived, the total number of lessons, and the maximum time allowed for completion of the program must be submitted. (H) A teaching syllabus for each course in each program. If a program does not contain specific courses or the program is of short duration, then the teaching syllabus shall be for the program in its entirety. The content of the syllabus shall contain the elements in the sample provided by the commission; (I) The grading system, standards of satisfactory progress, attendance and performance required of students in the program, as referenced in OAR 715-045-0019; (c) Submit additional documentation that includes: (A) A description of the instructional area or facility with space allocations and dimensions, equipment placement, and teaching stations for each program appropriately indicated; (B) A description of the admission requirements and process for evaluating those requirements, including the criteria or tests used in the selection and placement of enrollees for the program; (C) Labor market information, updated every two years with data no more than three years old, as described in OAR 715-045-0006(11); and (D) A written placement assistance plan for assisting graduates in efforts to obtain employment in the field for which training was offered, or a related field, as described in OAR 715-045-0019. (2) The program advisory committee shall submit to the school its analysis of the quality, content, duration and curriculum sequencing of the program of study, instructional materials, equipment and facilities provided to prepare the student in skills currently necessary for entry level employment in the occupation for which the program was designed: (a) Program material prepared for the program advisory committee, as prescribed in subsection (1) (b) and (c) of this rule, will be filed with the executive director; (b) The executive director may review: (A) The school's program development procedures; (B) The program advisory committee's involvement in program development; and (C) The program advisory committee’s analysis of a program as specified in subsection (2). (c) The executive director may accept or reject the findings of the program advisory committee’s analysis of the adequacy of the program. (3) The executive director will review the program outcome summary, program map, core abilities, standards, competencies and syllabus for each program to determine the adequacy of the instructional design. The executive director’s written approval of these elements is required prior to the commencement of any marketing, recruitment, enrollment or instructional activities. (4) The executive director may request and review other instructional design materials outlined in subsections (1) and (2) of this rule, before granting approval, including learning plans, performance assessment plans, and learning activities. (5) Licensed schools wishing to add a new program must: (a) Prepare the instructional design elements described in subsections (1) and (2) of this rule for each new program requested and make them available to the commission upon request; and (b) Prepare and submit for approval the elements described in subsection (3) of this rule for each new program requested. (6) The commission will develop instructional design guidelines and timeframes to assist schools licensed prior to the implementation of this rule in bringing all approved programs into compliance.